Door-latch retainer



Qct. 29, 1929. v 1. c. WILMo-r 1,733,847 j Doon LATCH RETAINER Filed Maron 11, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2 73 1 SJL Patented Get. 29, 1929 JOHN Ci WILT/IOT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

Assmann fro venin'rv Yman noon enivr- 'PALNYQ 0F CHICAGG, ILLINOIS, A CGRPORAEIO- N 0F ILLINOIS DOOR-LATCH RETAINER Application iled March ,11, 1927. Serial No, 1724,663,

This invention relates to door latch retainers, vmore particularly to door latch retainers for elevator doors ot' the type Which comprise a pair of vertical sliding sections,

which sections meet When the door is closed and move verticallyaway from each other in opening.

Doors of ,this sort are usually latched in with.

The object of the present invention is the provision of a Y,generally improved `and lsimpliied latch retainer that may be yeconomically produced, conveniently installed i and advantageously employed f in various door structures of this type and which will hold the latch bar out of engagement with the door stop in the openingr and `closing movement ol'l the door so as .to avoid the frio tion or contact of the latch bars, with the stops, as the door is opened and closed and any Wear or other undesirable results which might be producedl thereby.

The invention isvill'ustrated yin the accomf an ino` drawing in which Fig. l is a fragmentary elevation ol a door showing an embodiment of the ,invention in connectiontherewith;

Fig. 2 isa somewhat enlarged section showing the door in closed position;

Fig. 3 is Ia similar View showing the door slightly open, as vfor example in its initial opening or linal closing position;-

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation of a door showing another embodiment of the invention with the door in closed position;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the door (Fig. 4) slightly open and.

the 'latch retainer in retaining position.

The present invention 1s not concerned With the detals-ofeonstru0tien of .the @Oem per Se, anfllfl shall, thenetore, give iustsllcli a description of Ia particular form`r of slide door .of this sortas Will enable those .skilled in the art to clearly understand the particu? tion therewith.,-

Tllle form of door shown is particularly" adapted for `closing the usual door .ay-S ,Pref vlclmg ommunleatlon between an elevator Shaft and the various loolts throughout tlf-1.@

building and it is, also useful in other een? nections. *t

l The door kcoiilprles tw@ Par1e1-membrslor sections anfl=6"ru1lnng V'in .Suitable vetiezi-l smelling members The loiverl @des @el the upper ,Section 5 .meetsfth,eupl5e1"edeel0 Ofth lower Section Gehorizntallyars the' flOOrWeyWhen the-.domus Clostlarfi hes tionsland 6 .move vertically may cll Otltlel" lil Opening @Stilwell uncles'teol zii-1 Clie ar latch bars lor arms 19 and20. latch `laars 19 and 2O ientend generally horino ntally, to-l Ward oppositesidesofth'e door andtheir free ends are adapted to project through the side flanges 2loji the lower .door `section and-,to

overlie suitablerstops 25 when the door closed, The stop 2,5 maybe. secured to the vertical guide member, 8 "asshowa A spring 28V CQIlIlcted between the disc 12 and bracket member 2,9 on the lower Vdoor Section 6 tends t0 turn Q1' rotate the' die@ l2 in a. counterclockwise*direction 15)7tend-- ing to ,urge the handle l into the position sliovvn and the latch bars v:19 and 20 into pro.-

jected locking position.

Q bar extends.

j To open the door the handle is grasped and the 'disc 12 turned in a clockwise direction. This retracts the latch bars 19 and 20 inwardly until theirY outer ends clear the stops or fixed abutments whereupon the door sections are free to be moved apart or separatedfinto" Aopen position.

Forholding the 'latch bars in retracted position and against riding up over the inclined j 10 surfacesl of the stops 25 in theV opening and closing movement of the door, the outer ends of the upper-edges ofthe bars 19 and 20 are notched at to provide an outwardly facing vertical shoulder 32. As the'latch bar is retracted clear of the stop 25' and the door opened by moving the sections and 6 apart,

the outer end of the latch bar is swung up by spring means and the shoulder 32 engaged at 36 (Fig. 3) with the side iiange 21 atthe top of the opening 37 through which the latch 'Any 'suitable' spring means may be employed at 35. 'Ihat shown comprises a bracket 38 attached to the door section 6 beneath the bar 20`with a plunger 39 mounted therein. The plunger 39 is headed at 40'with a spring 42 interposed between the head40'and.

bracket 38, pressing the head against the i bar20 and urging the bar 20 yi'eldingly upwardlyv aboutits-pivoted connection at 18 with the operating dise 12. It is to be understood, of course, that where there are two latch barsV as shown the spring' and other means associated lwith reach are the same so that a description'gofjone ywill'suiice'for both.

Forreleasing the `retainer the bottom of each side ofthe upper door section 5 has a pin 45 iXedly secured'therein at 46 for cooperation with the latch bars at lopposite sides of the door. The upper flange 14 of the lower door section 6'has openings 48 and the pins 45 are projected through these Vopenings 48 as the door approaches `its closed position and engage the latch bars 19 and 20 forcing .sa-me downwardly against the spring or ten sion means 35 and releasing the shoulder 32 from the side flanges 21v of the lower door section, whereupon the latch bars are projected outover the stops 25 by thespring 28 and loc-k the door in closed position.

Where the door is used in an elevator shaft V'suitable interlock means may be provided for preventing operation of the car when the door is open. The means shown comprises a motor circuit for driving the elevator car and this circuit 4has conductors whichlead to contacts 50, 52 in a box or housing 53.k Thehousing 53 is shown mounted with its bottom wall V 54 upon the stop 25 and its side wall 56 has an opening 58 through which the adjacent end of the latch bar. projects into the housing 53. A generally bell crank arm 60 pivoted at 61 within the housing 53 has a bridging con-r tact 62 for bridging the contacts 50, 52 and closing the Amotor circuit when the door is closed. At its opposite end the arm 60 has a pair of fingers 63 with which the adjacent notched and tapered end 64 of the latch arm 40 cooperates to close the bridging contacts in the closed position of the door and to release the bridging contact so that it will Open by gravity as the latch bars 19, 2O are reL tracted to open the door.

In the-embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 4 and 5 an additional retainer bar 68 is employed instead of providing the shoul der 36 lfor engagement with the side iange of the door. The bar 68 is pivoted at 70 in a bracket 72 mounted at the top of the lower door section beneaththe top flange thereof. The latch end of the bar 68 is turned down at 73 for engagement with suitable notches 74 in the upper edge of the bar-20 which corresponds with the bar 20 of Figs. 1, 2, 3. The pivot is disposed off-center with respect to the bar 68 so that the latch end 73 ofthe although, of course, Vthe present invention l may be embodied where there is no interlock.

1. In combination, a door comprising a' first door section and asecondv door section, said sections being movable away from Vand toward each other in opening and closa stop having relatively fixed position ino' aldiig the first door section, a latch bar mounted on said first door section and adapted to be engaged with and released from said stop, means operable upon Aopening the door for retaining said latch in released position and means mounted on the second door section andoperable upon closing the door for i releasing said retaining means. 2. In combination, a door comprising a pair of door sections movable away from and toward each other in opening and clos-V ing, a stop, a latch bar mounted on the door andadapted to be engaged with and released from said stop, means for retaining the latch in released position and means operated by relative movement between said door sections and disposed wholly on the door and independent of the lintell for'releasing said retaining means.

3. In combination, a door `comprising a pair of door sections movable away from and toward each other in opening and closing, a latch bar mounted on one door section and having a latching position forl holding the door closed, said latch bar having a released position, means for retaining the latch bar in released position and means on the other door section for releasing said retaining means as the door is closed.

4. In combination, a door comprising a pair of door sections movable away from and toward each other in opening and closing, a latch bar mounted on one door section and having a latching position for holding the door closed,.said latch bar having a released position, means for retaining the latchbar in released position and means on the other door section for releasing said retaining means as the door is closed, the lower door section having a side flange with an opening through which the latch bar projects and a top flange having an opening through which the releasing means is adapted to be projected to release said bar.

5. In combination, a door comprising upper and lower door sections movable vertically away from and toward each other in opening and closing, a stop, a disc pivoted on the lower section and provided with an operating handle, a latch bar pivoted to said disc,

a spring for projecting said bar from the side of the door into cooperation with said stop, means on the lower door section for retaining said bar against projection and means on the upper door section for releasing said retaining means.

6. In combination, a door comprising upper and lower door sections movable vertically away from and toward each other in opening and closing, a stop, a disc pivoted on the lower section and provided with an operating handle, a latch bar pivoted to said disc, a spring for projecting said bar from the side of the door into cooperation with said stop, the latch bar having anotch forming a shoulder for engaging the side flange of the lower' section to retain said bar against projection, a springvpressing the bar to engage said shoulder with said flange and pin means on the upper section movable through an opening in the upper flange of the lower section for releasing said retaining means.

7. In combination, a door comprising upper and lower door sections movable vert-ically away from and toward each other in opening and closing, a stop, a disc pivoted on the lower section and provided with an operating handle, a latch bar pivoted to said disc, a spring for projecting said bar from the side of the door into cooperation with said stop, a retaining bar pivoted on the lower section and engageable with the latch bar to hold same against engagement with the stop and a pin on the upper section movable through an opening in the upper flange of he lower section for releasing said retaining 8. In combination, a pair of door sections movable to open and closed positions, latch means for holding the door closed, means for 

